Chapter 1676: Basketball Game

Of course Zhao Fusheng wasn't crazy.

He was merely estimating Marvel's stock valuation ten years later based on his memory.

As for whether Disney would pay according to that valuation.

Heh...

The head of Disney wasn't an idiot, so of course not.

But in business, asking a high price and negotiating down is common, isn't it?

Both Zhao Fusheng and Ye Jing knew that since they had made their stance on Marvel clear, reaching a cooperation agreement with Disney or a third party was only a matter of time.

But before officially selling Marvel's shares, they had to wait until they could maximize profits.

In other words, they needed to let Marvel, currently in a slump, emerge from its困境 and demonstrate its value.

Only under these circumstances would Zhao Fusheng choose to sell Marvel's shares for cash.

Otherwise, why would he invest himself and let others benefit?

"Should we leave people here?"

Ye Jing thought for a moment and asked Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng smiled: "No need. Kevin Feige is even more eager than we are to release 'Iron Man,' since it's a chance to prove his ability."

That was true. Kevin Feige had only recently taken charge of Marvel, and 'Iron Man' was not only Zhao Fusheng's experiment but also his own. If it failed, he would face unimaginable pressure as CEO.

American capitalists were far more pragmatic than those in China.

Chinese businessmen sometimes care about face and mutual respect, but Americans don't bother with such things. Even a company's founder, if they can't generate economic benefits, will only be shown the door.

That's no joke. Back then, Steve Jobs was kicked out of Apple that way.

But Jobs was amazing; when Apple was in trouble, he made a comeback and secured his position as the head.

Kevin Feige wasn't even a founder of Marvel, just a professional manager. If 'Iron Man' bombed at the box office, the Marvel board would fire him without Zhao Fusheng saying a word.

"Alright then."

Since Zhao Fusheng said so, Ye Jing had no objections.

He also understood that once filming was done, the rest was about promotion and distribution. He couldn't interfere in that area, and Marvel had its own channels and networks that wouldn't let him meddle.

If that happened, it would mean Marvel had been completely merged into Future Film.

"Get ready. We'll return to China in a few days," Zhao Fusheng instructed Wu Sijie.

Wu Sijie nodded: "Should we go to Silicon Valley?"

Silicon Valley, of course, meant Facebook.

Zhao Fusheng thought for a moment and figured that Zuckerberg and Sean Parker probably didn't want to see him either, so he shook his head: "No need. Let's take a tour of Hollywood, see the sights, then visit Los Angeles and New York."

He then smiled at Ye Jing: "I remember you like basketball. How about we watch a Lakers game?"

"Sure."

Ye Jing nodded. He really enjoyed watching games and was a fan of Lakers star Kobe Bryant.

Zhao Fusheng looked at Wu Sijie: "Buy tickets. See if we can get seats near the front. If not, call Kevin Feige; he should have connections."

After all, sports and entertainment go hand in hand. Kevin Feige certainly had more resources than a group of Chinese like them.

...

...

Sure enough, Kevin Feige didn't disappoint. He found a way to get seven VIP tickets to a Lakers game.

Three days later, Zhao Fusheng, Ye Jing, and Wu Sijie arrived at Staples Center.

They were lucky; there happened to be a Western Conference Finals game at the Lakers' home court.

"MVP!"

"MVP!"

"MVP!"

The crowd's chant of "MVP" never stopped from the start.

Kobe was at his peak then, and his performance throughout the game was nothing short of superhuman.

"Amazing!"

Zhao Fusheng said to Ye Jing with a smile.

Ye Jing nodded: "Yeah, his skills are unmatched, and he's incredibly disciplined."

Clearly, he was a big Kobe fan, and he immediately started rambling to Zhao Fusheng about how strict the Lakers star was with himself...

Zhao Fusheng laughed and suddenly said: "You know, this makes me think it might be fun to buy a team sometime."

"Huh?"

Hearing this, Ye Jing was stunned and looked at Zhao Fusheng in surprise: "Fusheng, are you joking?"

Zhao Fusheng shook his head: "No."

He then smiled: "It's just entertainment, and it's not that expensive, right?"

Ye Jing was speechless for a moment, but on second thought, Zhao Fusheng wasn't wrong. With his total wealth, buying an NBA team was indeed just entertainment.

The poor can't understand the life of the rich...

At that moment, only that thought crossed Ye Jing's mind.

"We'll see."

Zhao Fusheng said calmly: "Keep an eye on it later."

The idea came to him partly because he found basketball interesting, and partly because owning a team could help promote Future Group's companies.

As a businessman, Zhao Fusheng never acted without purpose; that was beyond doubt.

"Alright."

Ye Jing nodded: "I'll keep an eye out for you."

He took it seriously. No matter what, if a Chinese businessman became an NBA team owner, even a minority owner, it would be a huge gimmick.

Of course, he didn't know that Zhao Fusheng had no intention of being a minority owner.

Three Asians appearing in the VIP section of the arena was a bit unusual, but at Staples Center, it didn't cause a stir. In Americans' eyes, Easterners all looked pretty much the same.

"Aren't you afraid of being on TV?"

Ye Jing whispered to Zhao Fusheng, speechless.

"Being on TV is fine." Zhao Fusheng laughed: "This is America. People who know us won't say anything, and those who don't will just see us on TV."

He shrugged: "It's not like Chinese people aren't allowed to watch games at Staples Center, right?"

"True," Ye Jing nodded. He understood Zhao Fusheng's point. Even if they watched the game and chatted here, no one would kick them out.

If a security guard dared to do that, Zhao Fusheng would make sure the Lakers' owner, the Buss family, was ruined the next day.

That was no joke. In the NBA, racial discrimination was taken very seriously.

Though everyone knew certain unwritten rules existed, they couldn't be brought into the open.

Take the Clippers' owner, Sterling, for example. He foolishly made racist remarks on the phone, and the media exposed them.

And what happened?

All the black players on the Clippers refused to play for him, and the black head coach and staff refused to coach.

The entire league abandoned him, forcing him to sell a profitable club to Steve Ballmer, Bill Gates' good friend.

In the end, it was because he didn't follow the rules and brought private matters into the open.

The game ended with the Lakers winning. Zhao Fusheng and Ye Jing watched the cheering fans. Ye Jing shrugged: "I have to say, American ball sports are quite developed."

"Yeah," Zhao Fusheng agreed.

In his view, it was already quite lively.

But as they left, Wu Sijie, who had been silent, suddenly said: "Actually, the NBA isn't the best-developed ball sport in America."

"Huh?"

Zhao Fusheng and Ye Jing exchanged glances, clearly not understanding what Wu Sijie meant.

Wu Sijie explained with a smile: "Among the four major professional leagues in the U.S., baseball, football, and hockey are more popular than basketball."

He then began to introduce them to Zhao Fusheng and Ye Jing.

After listening, Zhao Fusheng learned that American professional sports were highly developed with numerous leagues. But the most famous were the four major North American professional sports leagues: the NFL (National Football League), MLB (Major League Baseball), NBA (National Basketball Association), and NHL (National Hockey League).

Most Chinese sports fans might know more about the NBA, but in the hearts of Americans, the most important professional league was the NFL, founded in 1920. It was the highest level of American football and the most popular sports competition in the U.S. Its championship game, the Super Bowl, had an influence that reached every corner.

Each year, the Super Bowl halftime show was a coveted spot for artists. A 30-second Super Bowl ad costing $5 million sold out early. On Super Bowl Sunday, the streets were empty as everyone went home early to watch the game.

That was America—everything could be turned into a business.

"So, what's your suggestion?" Ye Jing asked Wu Sijie curiously.

Wu Sijie shrugged: "Nothing much. Just that if the chairman wants to buy a team, I think he might consider teams from other leagues, since they have more commercial value."

Ye Jing was taken aback but didn't speak; he looked at Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng laughed: "You're overthinking it."

"Huh?"

This time, not only Wu Sijie but also Ye Jing didn't understand what he meant.

According to what was just said, Wu Sijie's suggestion seemed correct. Why did Zhao Fusheng think he was overthinking it?

Did Zhao Fusheng have other ideas?